China, 1986 to 2066
37 dated events in ten lanes, from 2000 to 2060: how road vehicles in China are powered, regulated, certified, traded and used, and what is already dated ahead.
Mechanical door handles required on new cars
A mandatory MIIT standard released on 2 February 2026 requires mechanical inside and outside door handles, in effect banning hidden ones, for new approvals from 1 January 2027; existing models by January 2029.
Carscnevpost.com
Where it stands on 1 November 2026
How vehicles are approved
MIIT product access plus CCC certification (since 2002) against mandatory GB standards; party to the UN 1998 Agreement (2000) but not the 1958 Agreement.
Emission stages in force
Cars: China 6b with RDE (July 2023); trucks and buses: China VI-b (July 2023); motorcycles: China IV (July 2018); non-road machinery and tractors: Stage IV (December 2022).
Safety rules and ratings
Mandatory GB standards incl. cybersecurity GB 44495 and software updates GB 44496 (2026) and battery safety GB 38031-2025 (July 2026); door-handle rule from 2027; C-NCAP ratings (2027 protocol issued).
Zero-emission target
No ICE phase-out date; NEV credit requirement 48% (2026) and 58% (2027); MIIT target of NEVs at 70% of new passenger car and 40% of commercial vehicle sales by 2030.
Net zero
2060 (carbon neutrality before 2060)
Market
CAAM 2025: sales 34.40 million (+9.4%), production 34.53 million; NEVs 16.49 million (47.9% of sales); exports 7.10 million.
Fuel and charging
China VI petrol and diesel (10 ppm sulfur) since 2019; E10 in about 15 provinces; about 3.2 million public chargers (July 2024); CATL runs about 2,500 battery-swap stations (October 2026).
End of life
National scrappage subsidies ran in 2009-2010; current end-of-life vehicle, EPR and NEV battery-recycling rules exist but were not verified in this research.
Rulebook: China GB and CCC
China's GB standards and CCC. Not a party to the UN 1958 Agreement, but a party to the 1998 Agreement.
Also on this rulebook: No other country uses it.
Every event, lane by lane
37 events in time order within each lane. Few dated sources were found for powertrain and batteries, end of life and recycling.
Powertrain and batteriesTechnology
BYD stops making petrol-only cars
BYD ended production of pure combustion-engine cars in March 2022 to build only battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models; by 2025 it was the world's largest electric carmaker.
Carsen.wikipedia.org medium confidence
None for the vehicle you picked.
Software, data and automationTechnology
National rules for testing automated vehicles on public roads
From 1 May 2018 rules from MIIT, MPS and MOT let automated vehicles be tested on public roads after closed-site tests and third-party certification, with temporary plates and a safety driver.
Cars, vans and pickups, trucks, busesnbd.com.cn
Automotive data security provisions take effect
Order No. 7 of CAC, NDRC, MIIT, MPS and MOT, in force 1 Oct 2021, urges in-car processing and no collection by default; important data must stay in China and exports need a security assessment.
Cars, vans and pickups, trucks, busesncsti.gov.cn
First permits for paid, fully driverless robotaxis
Baidu's Apollo Go received China's first permits for fare-charging robotaxi rides with no human driver on board, in Wuhan and Chongqing's Yongchuan district, announced 8 August 2022.
Carsprnewswire.com
Pilot opens market access for Level 3 and Level 4 vehicles
On 17 Nov 2023 MIIT, MPS, MOHURD and MOT launched pilots letting selected mass-production-ready Level 3 and Level 4 vehicles gain product access and run on public roads in designated areas.
Cars, vans and pickups, trucks, busesncsti.gov.cn
MIIT curbs driver-assistance marketing and over-the-air updates
On 16 April 2025 MIIT told carmakers to drop terms such as 'autonomous driving' for 'combined assisted driving', stop public beta tests of driver assistance and file all software updates.
Carscnevpost.com
First Level 3 automated driving approvals
On 15 December 2025 MIIT approved the Changan Deepal SL03 and BAIC Arcfox Alpha S for conditional L3 driving on set expressways in Chongqing (up to 50 km/h) and Beijing (up to 80 km/h).
Carscnevpost.com
Mandatory vehicle cybersecurity and software-update standards
GB 44495-2024 on vehicle cybersecurity and GB 44496-2024 on software updates, both issued on 23 August 2024, apply to new vehicle type approvals from 1 January 2026.
Cars, vans and pickups, trucks, buseschinesestandard.net medium confidence
None for the vehicle you picked.
Energy and infrastructureTechnology
China V fuels with 10 ppm sulfur nationwide
China V petrol and diesel, capped at 10 ppm sulfur, became mandatory nationwide on 1 January 2017 after use in 11 eastern provinces from 2016; China VI fuels followed from January 2019.
All vehiclesdieselnet.com
CATL battery-swap network reaches about 2,500 stations
CATL says it runs about 2,500 battery-swap stations in 200 Chinese cities, with a long-term goal of 30,000, as carmakers such as BAIC add swappable models.
Carselectrive.com
None for the vehicle you picked.
Emissions and climateRegulation
China 1 emission limits for new light vehicles nationwide
China 1 limits applied to new light-duty vehicle type approvals nationwide from January 2000, with production conformity checks from July 2000.
Cars, vans and pickupsdieselnet.com
Dual-credit policy links fuel economy and NEV credits
From April 2018 carmakers must earn NEV credits equal to a share of conventional output: 10% in 2019, 38% in 2025, and 48% (2026) and 58% (2027) as finalised in November 2025.
Carsdieselnet.com
China IV emission limits for motorcycles and mopeds
Stage IV emission standards for two- and three-wheeled motorcycles and mopeds, released in 2016, took effect in July 2018.
Two- and three-wheelersiea.org
China VI-a for all new heavy-duty vehicles
Under GB 17691-2018, China VI-a applied to all new heavy-duty vehicles from July 2021 (urban vehicles from July 2020); tighter China VI-b followed in July 2023.
Trucks, busesdieselnet.com
Non-road Stage IV limits with a particle number cap
From December 2022 new non-road mobile machinery and engines up to 560 kW must meet Stage IV (GB 20891-2014, HJ 1014-2020); a PN limit of 5x10^12/kWh requires wall-flow DPFs from 37 kW.
Tractors and machinerydieselnet.com
China 6b with real-driving emissions testing
From July 2023 new light vehicles must meet China 6b, including on-road RDE limits for NOx and particle number (conformity factor 2.1); China 6a had applied since January 2021.
Cars, vans and pickupsdieselnet.com
Phase 6 fuel consumption targets for passenger cars
GB 27999-2025, issued 30 June 2025, sets WLTC-based corporate average fuel consumption targets from 1 January 2026, counting electric and fuel-cell energy use as petrol equivalent.
NEVs to reach 70% of new passenger car sales by 2030Dated ahead
MIIT's September 2026 five-year plan targets NEVs at 70% of new passenger car and 40% of commercial vehicle sales by 2030; a June 2026 plan targets 40% NEV penetration for heavy trucks.
Cars, vans and pickups, trucks, busesdieselnet.com
Carbon neutrality before 2060Dated ahead
Pledged by Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly in September 2020; China's 2035 NDC, submitted in November 2025, commits to cutting net greenhouse gas emissions 7-10% from peak.
All vehiclesclimateactiontracker.org
None for the vehicle you picked.
Vehicle safetyRegulation
Revised e-bike safety standard with 25 km/h power cut-off
From 1 September 2025 e-bikes must cut motor power above 25 km/h and limit plastics to 5.5% of the vehicle; non-compliant models were banned from sale from 1 December 2025.
Two- and three-wheelerstechnode.com
Battery safety standard: no fire or explosion after thermal runaway
GB 38031-2025, mandatory from 1 July 2026, requires EV traction batteries not to catch fire or explode after thermal runaway and adds bottom-impact and 300-cycle fast-charge tests.
Cars, vans and pickups, trucks, buseselectrive.com
Mechanical door handles required on new carsDated ahead
A mandatory MIIT standard released on 2 February 2026 requires mechanical inside and outside door handles, in effect banning hidden ones, for new approvals from 1 January 2027; existing models by January 2029.
Carscnevpost.com
None for the vehicle you picked.
End of life and recyclingRegulation
First national scrappage subsidies for old vehicles
A 2009 scheme paid owners to scrap old cars, minivans and small and mid-size trucks failing emission standards; payments rose to 5,000-18,000 yuan and it ran to the end of 2010.
Cars, vans and pickups, trucksen.wikipedia.org medium confidence
None for the vehicle you picked.
Approval, testing and qualityCertification
China joins the UN 1998 Agreement on global technical regulations
China accepted the 1998 Agreement on 10 October 2000. It is not a party to the 1958 Agreement, so it approves vehicles to its own GB standards rather than to UN Regulations.
All vehiclestreaties.un.org medium confidence
China Compulsory Certification (CCC) mark introduced
The CCC mark took effect on 1 May 2002 for products including motor vehicles, motorcycles, safety parts and tyres, and replaced the CCIB and CCEE marks from 1 August 2003.
All vehiclesintertek.com
C-NCAP crash-test ratings launched
CATARC released the first version of the China New Car Assessment Programme (C-NCAP) in March 2006, publishing star ratings from crash tests of new cars.
Carscarhs.de
C-NCAP 2027 protocol adds battery and driver-assistance tests
CATARC released the 2027 C-NCAP protocol in April 2026, the seventh major revision since 2006, adding EV battery safety and driver-assistance tests; it expects current scores to fall about 8%.
None for the vehicle you picked.
Trade and marketCommercial
China joins the World Trade Organization
China became a WTO member on 11 December 2001, committing to cut car import tariffs from 80-100% to 25% and parts tariffs from 40-50% to 10% by 2006.
All vehicleswto.org medium confidence
Foreign ownership caps on carmakers removed
From 1 January 2022 foreign firms may hold over 50% of passenger car ventures and form more than two JVs, ending the 1994 cap; NEV caps went in 2018 and commercial vehicle caps in 2020.
All vehiclesautonews.gasgoo.com
China overtakes Japan as the largest vehicle exporter
China exported 4.91 million vehicles in 2023 (CAAM), nearly 58% more than in 2022, overtaking Japan's 4.42 million (JAMA).
All vehiclesqz.com
Export licences required for battery-electric cars
From 1 January 2026 exporters of pure electric passenger cars need licences, under rules announced on 26 September 2025 by the Commerce Ministry and three other departments.
Carscnevpost.com
NEV purchase tax exemption halved
NEV buyers pay half the 10% purchase tax in 2026 and 2027, with relief capped at 15,000 yuan per car, after a full exemption capped at 30,000 yuan in 2024-2025.
Carscnevpost.com
None for the vehicle you picked.
Supply chain and materialsCommercial
CATL becomes the world's largest EV battery maker
Founded in Ningde in 2011, CATL led global power-battery sales for the first time in 2017 with 11.84 GWh; by 2023 it held 36.8% of the world market (SNE Research).
All vehiclesen.wikipedia.org medium confidence
Export permits required for battery graphite
Announced in October 2023 and effective December 2023, export permits are required for high-purity synthetic graphite and natural flake graphite products used in battery anodes.
All vehiclesmmta.co.uk
Export licences for seven rare earths and magnets
From 4 April 2025 exports of samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium, and some magnets, need licences; an October 2025 expansion is suspended to 10 November 2026.
All vehicleschina-briefing.com
None for the vehicle you picked.
Mobility and customersCommercial
Didi founded as a taxi-hailing app
Didi Dache was founded in Beijing in June 2012 as a taxi-hailing app; it merged with rival Kuaidi Dache in February 2015.
Carsen.wikipedia.org medium confidence
Ride-hailing apps legalised; Didi agrees to buy Uber China
China issued national rules legalising app-based ride-hailing in late July 2016; on 1 August Didi agreed to buy Uber's China business in a deal valuing the combined firm at $35 billion.
Carscnbc.com medium confidence
None for the vehicle you picked.